CalPortland pleases neighbors by focusing on safety, noise, and dust

CalPortland’s DuPont Plant incorporates some of its natural surroundings, including pine trees and mountains, in the sign that greets visitors to the plant.

When it comes to making good impressions on neighbors, CalPortland focuses on the triple-threat: safety, noise, and dust.

Safety is the top priority, says Bill Larson, vice president of marketing for Glendora, Calif.-based CalPortland Co. “To integrate with the community, it’s very important that you create a very safe space to work in,” he says, noting that, through its Zero Accidents for Life initiative, safety is basically part of the corporate DNA.

CalPortland’s entrances are engineered to accommodate the traffic needs of its many vertically integrated operations and to allow for future expansion. Highly visible signs mark traffic patterns to site visitors and help create a culture of safety as soon as they enter the site.

In terms of dust control, the company uses an effective dust control program with numerous machines to minimize dust on the site. “We basically comply with all of hte environmental requirements as far as going on and off the properties to mitigate sand and contamination of dust from an egress perspective,” Larson explains.

Although many of the sites have natural boundaries, such as the Puget Sound and fir forests around their perimeter, they are augmented by setbacks, berms, and plantings to muffle sound.